ILUEP

To improve the livelihood security and increase the resilience of the targeted urban extreme poor households living in slums, squatter settlements and on the pavements in Dhaka cities.

Project Results/ Objective

Outcome 1: Extreme poor households improved their income and financial asset
Outcome 2: Malnutrition rates children under 05 reduced among extreme poor households living in pavement, squatter and slums
Outcome 3: Women and girls of extreme poor households are empowered
Outcome 4: Extreme poor living in slum, squatter and pavement have access to social services and their rights
Outcome 5: Urban extreme poor households have improved access to water and sanitation facilities with improved hygiene practices and increased awareness on HIV and AIDS transmission
Outcome 6: Women of extreme poor household experience reduced incidence of Violence against Women and Girls

Duration

2017 to 2021 (05 Years)

Funded By

Irish Aid

Supported by

Concern Worldwide, Bangladesh

Geographical Coverage

Dhaka ( Mirpur- 1, Mirpur-2 and Mirpur-Gabtoli) Under DNCC

Budget

BDT 1,93,56,668/- (Per Year) Approximately 10,00,000,00/- for 05 Years

This Programme builds on the earlier work of Amrao Manush (AOM) project (dating back to 2008) with a prime focus on pavement dwellers (PD) in Dhaka. There were then and still are a very limited number of urban poverty focused actors meeting their needs. The challenge remains in improving the ‘graduation’ rates of the urban extreme poor (UEP) as many back slide, returning from the slums to the pavement/ street/ squat. Additionally numbers continue to increase from new migrants and population increase, and many who have remained as PD for 20 years or more (the situation becoming generational). For this reason part of the program area remains as the needs continue to remain high. The current Programme maintains the existing intervention areas around the strategy of service delivery from the Pavement Dweller Centre’s (PDCs) whilst also extending the number of new PD beneficiaries to neighboring areas through greater outreach.

The Programme addresses the needs of different target groups within the wider context of rapid urbanization and the growing number of urban poor anticipated in the next decade: (1) urban extreme poor (UEP) households (pavement, squatter & undeveloped slum dwellers) facing precarious unskilled, low paid, sometimes hazardous, daily labour; they lack access to credit and saving schemes and so lacking resilience against periodic shocks: fire, eviction, theft. Unsanitary conditions leads to a high prevalence of diseases when healthcare is not accessible and there are high levels of malnutrition amongst children. The UEP are poorly organized not well represented and lack access to basic services. (2) women and girls from UEP HHs face additional needs lacking economic, social and political empowerment that stems from a patriarchal male controlling society; there are high levels of GBV and early marriage both undermining the confidence and ability of women and girls to reach their potential. (3) Children under five experience high levels of chronic malnutrition (e.g. stunting) often connected to early marriage and the poor diet of pregnant women. Additionally there is limited support for play and other forms of early childhood development and access to day care. (4) Local authorities struggle to deliver their mandated roles in relation to the provision of healthcare, education (quality), water and sanitation and social safety nets for the extreme poor; and (5) the national government still does not have an approved urban policy and the extreme poor lack recognition and political representation to have their needs articulated and rights realized.

The overall goal of ILUEP project is to improve the livelihood security and increase the resilience to shocks of the targeted urban extreme poor households living in undeveloped slums, squatter settlements and on pavements in Dhaka. This will be accomplished primarily through livelihood enhancement augmented by improvements in nutrition, health, accessing services, women’s empowerment & control over decision making within the family and reduced violence against women & girls.